Prime Minister accused of waiving competence checks on his Home Secretary

Downing Street was embroiled in a fresh scandal today as it emerged that Prime Minister David Cameron may not have performed adequate checks on the individual he appointed to control the nation’s borders. It is alleged that in May 2010 he waived normal vetting procedures in allowing Theresa May to enter the office of Home Secretary.

‘This is a worrying lapse,’ said shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper. ‘The Prime Minister has put national security at risk by failing to properly check the credentials of Mrs May. It is entirely possible that during this period of relaxed controls an incompetent politician with no entitlement to be in a position of authority could have infiltrated the Cabinet. We need answers now.’

No.10 has denied going further than it should have done in appointing Mrs May, but conceded that other Ministers could have been admitted to Government during May 2010 without proper checks.

David Cameron is now under pressure to sack his Home Secretary, but insists his hands are tied. ‘We’d like to remove her, but she has a cat so it would be a breach of her human rights.’